I haven’t featured any sweet stuff lately, and today I have a fun one! Earlier this year, my family and I took another Disney cruise (As I’ve probably mentioned 174 times, Disney cruises are some of the best vacations I’ve ever been on!), and this time, we sailed on the Disney Fantasy during a special Star Wars sailing. It was my parents’ Christmas gift to us (This is not a sponsored post, just a recap of a trip I really enjoyed!), so my entire immediate family was with me, plus a few extended family members, too, as my aunt gifted a trip to her kids, as well.

None of us were under the age of 18, for the record – Disney is, of course, awesome for that age group, but there’s no shortage of entertainment for adults, whether they’re Disneyphiles or not. (I happen to be. :))

This year, all of my favorite things from before were still present, with the added benefit of double the fireworks and a Star Wars Day at Sea.

Here’s the truth: a year ago, I had never seen even one entire Star Wars film.

I’m sorry to those of you I just offended. ;)

We primarily booked this cruise because my brothers love Star Wars, but we figured the rest of us would enjoy the trip equally or almost as much. In the weeks leading up to our trip, I binge-watched all the Star Wars movies (Yep, every. last. one.) so I felt more than educated on Jedis and Wookiees before we set sail.

If you are like me and haven’t seen all (or any) of the Star Wars films, rest assured: you can watch them onboard the ship. They play them all several times in the theaters, so you’ll have multiple chances to catch up. I was worried about wasting all my time onboard watching Star Wars movies and I wanted to make sure to watch them in order, so I caught up beforehand, but it’s definitely still doable if you want to watch everything on the ship.

If you don’t want to watch the movies at all but want to get some basic info, there’s a Star Wars 101 class on Star Wars Day at Sea. It was a quick session that covered all the main characters and plot lines, so I’d recommend this to any newbies who’ve never heard of Princess Leia or Darth Vader.

I should mention: this isn’t an entire Star Wars cruise. Seven of the days onboard are normal Disney cruise days, with just one day dedicated to all things Star Wars. You Star Wars lovers will enjoy the day jam-packed with intergalactic activities, while any lukewarm Star Wars fans will be happy to know there are plenty other days without Storm Troopers and John Williams scores.

This post, however, is all about the Star Wars day.

It all begins the night before. For us, it was a Wednesday. A little after 10:00 p.m., Storm Troopers in the atrium make a show of “taking over” the ship. Music from the Dark Side is played, red lights illuminate the crowd, and fully-outfitted Storm Troopers march through the room, “holding up” suspicious-looking cruisers and acting completely in character.

The ship itineraries actually didn’t make much mention of this ceremony, but a former Cast Member had clued us in. It seemed like we weren’t the only ones in on the secret, because a large crowd had gathered. (Maybe because the Star Wars soundtrack was being piped all over the place?)

My mom apparently looked like she was up to no good, because she was one of the ones detained.

The program lasted a half-hour or so, and then everyone cleared out before the big day that began bright and early the following morning.

I got up early because there was a special brunch in Royal Court that I wanted to try. While my first cruise didn’t offer lunch at Royal Court like I’d been told it usually does, this one did. The lunch menu was the same every time I stopped by – burgers, fish, pasta – but on Star Wars day, the special brunch menu was different than any other day.

I sampled the Eggs Benedict Royale, which was even better than the (amazing) original Eggs Benedict, because it had smoked salmon instead of Canadian bacon. Well worth the early wake-up call; well worth the calories.

For dessert, I tried the White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Brownie Pie. This was pretty good, but not too high above the desserts at Cabanas. The restaurant was the busiest I saw it all week, so if you want to dine at Royal Court on Star Wars day, be sure to plan ahead and get there as early as you can.

The day we boarded the ship, each stateroom could fill out its preferences for a Star Wars character meet and greet later that week. Staterooms are assigned to a certain backdrop on a first-come, first-serve basis, so if you’re dying to get your photos taken on Tatooine, be sure to turn in your preference card right away. I let my Star Wars-loving brothers choose, and they did get their first choice. I didn’t go get my picture taken so I don’t have photos to share, but they seemed to enjoy it (and these are two 20-somethings who aren’t big Disney fans).

The latest Star Wars movie, Rogue One, had been released to theaters just a few weeks before, and I’d already seen it, but it was the featured entertainment for the evening. I donned some Princess Leia cinnamon buns and a white dress, grabbed some popcorn (one of the few things that does cost extra), and settled in for a showing at sea. Pretty much everything on Star Wars Day at Sea can fill up quickly, so check out your Personal Navigator, plan out your day, and arrive early to all your activities. I got a front-row balcony seat to the 3D movie, but the theater filled up really fast. Keep that in mind as you decide what to do that day!

At some point during the day, a collectible Star Wars Day at Sea window cling will appear on one of your mirrors, thanks to your stateroom host or hostess. Be sure to take this with you when you leave the ship at the end of the week!

My family went all out for Star Wars day. We had a handful of Leias and Hans, Rey, a Jawa, and two Chewbaccas.

My youngest brother ended up mixing a few Amazon and eBay pieces to create a pretty impressive Chewie costume that got him lots of requests for photos! Disney Cast Members did ask that he only wear his mask in the evening, as they don’t allow masks during the daytime. I guess it’s a little intimidating to spot a 6’5″ Wookiee when you’re riding the elevator. ;)

Most other guests were dressed in Star Wars apparel, too. I was so impressed by all the costumes, from babies to retirees!

For the duration of the cruise, there was a Star Wars backdrop set up for guests to pose in front of. On Star Wars day, Disney photographers were nearby to capture photos for you in your Star Wars best.

Dinner was probably my favorite part. There was an exclusive Star Wars menu with offerings from various planets and, as usual, the servers pretty much let you order as many things as you want.

There were also special kids’ menus that doubled as Star Wars character “masks.” They think of everything!

Marbled green bread waited on each table when we arrived for dinner to start things off.

For my appetizers, I had the Bantha Steak Empanadas from Planet Tatooine…

Followed by Padme Amidala Souffle…

For my entree, I chose the Stormtrooper Flatbread from the Death Star…

There was so much to choose from! I know it creates a ton of extra work for the staff on Star Wars night, but they handled it all with grace and the typical Disney brand of over-the-top courtesy. I personally appreciated their efforts and the expanded menu – how fun for this foodie!

After dinner, we headed to the deck for the second fireworks show of the cruise. They still have Pirate Night earlier in the week (something we’d erroneously been told we wouldn’t enjoy, so be sure to pack your pirate garb in addition to your Star Wars apparel!), so we got double the fireworks this round. It does cost extra to take a Star Wars-specific cruise, so this explains the price difference.

There was another show featuring Star Wars characters on the stage by the pool area, and then the fireworks lit up the sky! Everything was set to the Star Wars score, and I preferred this evening’s entertainment and theme over Pirate Night.

After the fireworks were over, there was a special buffet in Cabanas. You don’t want to miss this one! Turkey legs, desserts galore, and artfully-carved Star Wars watermelons decorated the restaurant. The force was, well…in full force here.

All in all, Star Wars Day at Sea was a fun-filled day that we all – especially the lifelong fans – enjoyed. It was definitely worth the extra cost to please the grown-up Star Wars fans in my family, and it was cool to experience a unique cruise that may not be available in the future. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll love this cruise! May the force be with you. :)